Photo: Facebook (Road Traffic Management Corporation)

CRA Motoring News & Public Safety – South Africa

Research conducted reportedly showed driver alcohol intoxication accounted for 27,1% of fatal crashes in the country.

Operations targeting drunk driving must be prioritised, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.

“Drunk driving operations should be prioritised during the night, weekends and throughout the year as evidence shows that 55% of fatal crashes happen at night,” RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said.About three out of five fatal crashes happen over the weekends and 70% happen during non-vacation periods.

This as multiple allegedly alcohol-related accidents were reported on social media in Pretoria along with other parts of the province hot on the heels of the ban on alcohol sales being lifted earlier this week.One such accident was recorded in Centurion where one person was reportedly arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on Wednesday afternoon.

In neighbouring Benoni, five people were killed and one person injured when two vehicles collided on Wednesday evening.

“The RTMC calls on law enforcement agencies to step up their drunk driving operations every night and make it difficult for drunk drivers to use public roads,” Zwane said,

He added that research, conducted in collaboration with the SA Medical Research Council and Unisa, showed driver intoxication accounted for 27,1% of fatal accidents in South Africa.

“This is estimated to cost the economy R18,2-billion.”

Zwane also said their research indicated that the risk of accidents which involved other road users, like other motorists and pedestrians, increased significantly when a driver was drunk.

“Pedestrians are three times likely to die in a crash where a driver was intoxicated,” he said.

Zwane further said that, compared to speeding and other driver-related factors, intoxicate driving was found to pose a greater risk to light motor vehicles and public transport than vehicles transporting goods.

Article Credit to Pretoria Record.

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